On Saturday the Tamil Nadu health secretary Beela Rajesh announced that ten zones have been identified as high risk for coronavirus infection where patients have tested positive and have decided to form a cordon of five kilometers radius and another three kilometers buffer. Accordingly, the zones have been demarcated in each district and health officials will visit every house in the area to test for symptoms among the residents especially the elderly and those with other life-threatening ailments.

In Chennai fifteen COVID 19 positive patients have been reported and the areas that have been split into zones are as follows Arumbakkam and Purasawalkam in Zone 8 (five cases), Santhome in Zone 9 (one case), Virugambakkam, Saidapet and West Mambalam in Zone 10 (five cases), Porur in Zone 11 (Two cases), Alandur in Zone 12 (One case) and Kotturpuram in Zone 13. (One case). From Sunday the testing will happen in all 3000 or so houses in each zone from 8 am to 2pm every day.

The TN government headed by Chief Minister Edappadi Pazhaniswamy and the Health Minister Vijayabhaskar are seen as particularly proactive in the fight against the coronavirus with the state reporting 39 positive cases as of now. The containment effort could go a long way in flattening the spread curve along with social distancing, staying at home and washing hands regularly with soap and water.